Fill carriages for automatic matchplate moulding machines



July 14, 1970 w. A. HUNTER 3,520,348

FILL CARRIAGES FOR AUTOMATIC MATCHPLATE MOULDING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed 001,- 9, 1967 STATION 1 22 STATION ]I FIG.)

\NVENTOR WILLIAM ALLAN HUNTER ATTORNEY W. A. HUNTER July 14, 1970 FILLCARRIAGES FOR AUTOMATIC MATCHPLATE MOULDING MACHINES Filed Oct. 9, 19673 Sheets-Sheet :3

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INVENTOR WTLLIAM ALLAN HUNTER July 14, 1970 w. A. HUNTER FILL CARRIAGESFOR AUTOMATIC MATCHPLATE MOULDING MACHINES AT TO R N E Y INVENTORWILLIAM ALLAN HUNTER BY I M Q 3 m 3 \L fiwm X -W mQE United StatesPatent 3,520,348 FILL CARRIAGES FOR AUTOMATIC MATCH- PLATE MOULDINGMACHINES William Allan Hunter, Morton Grove, 11]., assignor toHeatherwill Company, Morton Grove, 111., a partnership Filed Oct. 9,1967, Ser. No. 673,605 Int. Cl. B22c /12 US. Cl. 164-193 4 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fill carriage for an automatic matchplatemoulding machine, said fill carriage being characterized by structurefor aerating moulding sand and depositing the same in substantiallylevel condition alternately into drag and cope flasks as the fillcarriage moves into positions atop the same.

The invention herein is an improvement over the matchplate mouldingmachine disclosed in Hunter Pat. No. 3,406,738 for Automatic MatchplateMoulding Machine and Method of Matchplate Moulding, dated Oct. 22, 1968.

The aforesaid application discloses a fill carriage movable with amoulding sand metering hopper between a position where an inverted dragflask is filled with moulding sand, and a subsequent position where acope flask is filled with moulding sand while the matchplate isinterposed between an erect and filled drag flask and the cope flask tobe filled.

According to the present invention the fill carriage movable between theaforesaid positions is provided with structure operable to riddle oraerate the moulding sand which moves downward from a metering hopper andinto the inverted drag flask or into the cope flask as the case may be,the same structure effectively providing even deposition of the mouldingsand and substantial freedom from unintended voids around the matchplateand throughout the mass of the moulding sand, all to the end that aperfect mould is made.

With the foregoing considerations in mind it is a principal object ofthis invention to provide an improved matchplate moulding machinecharacterized by a fill carriage movable between drag flask and copeflask filling positions, and having structure for effectively aeratingthe moulding sand and depositing the same substantially in a levelcondition in such flasks.

Another object is to provide an improved riddler for moulding sand, saidriddler being characterized by structure depositing the sand insubstantially a level state in the flask without substantial loss of thesand in moving from a metering hopper and past the riddler into theflask.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an automatic matchplate mouldingmachine having the improved fill carriage according to the presentinvention incorporated therein;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a fill carriage adapted to be employed with themoulding machine seen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view thereof, showing details of a riddle supportedthereon and details of a squeeze head supported thereon for placingpressure against sand which has been deposited into a cope flask;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2looking in the direction of the arrows showing structure for driving theriddle; and

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2looking in the direction of the arrows, showing further details of thestructure for driving the riddle.

3,520,348 Patented July 14, 1970 Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawingsthe improvements in the fill carriage according to the present inventionare embodied in an automatic moulding machine of the type as disclosedin the aforesaid Hunter application. Said moulding machine comprises abase frame 11 supporting a stage 12 for a ram device 13. The base 11also supports an oil reservoir 14 containing a supply of hydraulic oilfor operation of various hydraulically actuated devices such as the ram13. Corner frame members 16 extend upward from the stage 12, andvertical members 17 and 18 extend upward from the base 11. The upperends of the corner frame members 16 and the vertical members 17 and 18have Z-shaped upper frame members 19 secured thereto. The vertical framemembers 18 also provide a support for a cabinet 21 having a closure 22,cabinet 21 enclosing various control mechanisms incident to theoperation of the matchplate moulding machine 10.

As disclosed in the aforesaid Hunter application, matchplate mouldingmachine 10 comprises a first moulding station denoted Station I forfilling an inverted drag flask 23, and a second moulding station denotedStation II for filling a cope flask 25, placing pressure against thefilled drag and cope flasks 23 and 25, subsequently separating thefilled drag flask 23 from the filled cope flask 25, separating the dragflask 23 from the drag mould formed therein, and finally lightlypressing such drag mould against a cope mould formed within cope flask25 while the same is released from the cope flask to provide a finishedmould at Station II.

Inverted drag flask 23 is located at Station I and has a matchplate 24secured thereto in any convenient fashion. Matchplate 24 is providedwith pattern halves P and P Drag flask 23 is arranged to be held in ayoke or roll-over device 26. As seen in FIG. 1, drag flask 23 is in itsinverted position for filling, and the yoke or rollover device 26supports a chute 27 spaced above the inverted drag flask 23 so as toguide moulding sand into the inverted drag flask 23.

A fill carriage, see also FIG. 2, denoted generally by the referencenumeral 30 is adapted to be guided on the upper frame members 19 and tomove from the position seen at Station I where it deposits a riddledquantity of moulding sand into the inverted drag flask 23, and to moveto a second position at Station II where it deposits a riddled quantityof moulding sand into the cope flask 25.

Fill carriage 30 comprises laterally spaced side frame members 32 andtransversely extending cross frame members 33 and 34. Cross frame member34 has a bracket 36 extending upward therefrom for connecting fillcarriage to a piston rod 37 of a fill carriage moving cylinder 38anchored at 39 to the upper frame members 19.

Fill carriage 39 has the side frame members 32 thereof provided withrails 41 resting upon guide rollers 42 secured for rotation on stubshafts 43 supported in the upper frame members 19, see also FIGS. 4 and5. Fill carriage 30 supports a metering hopper 44 for a supply ofmoulding sand stored in a fill hopper 46, see again FIG. 1. As describedin detail in the aforesaid Hunter patent fill hopper 46 is provided withproper gating mechanism to discharge into the metering hopper 44 whenthe latter is in position beneath the fill hopper 46. Metering hopper 44is provided with movable gates 47 for discharging the contents thereofinto the inverted drag flask 23. Metering hopper 44 is supported on thefill carriage 30 and inposition thereover on vertical members secured tothe sides of metering hopper 44, and to the sides of fill carriage 30.

Structure is provided for riddling the moulding sand moving from themetering hopper 44 into the inverted drag flask 23, or into the copeflask 25, and such riddling of the moulding sand is accomplished withoutappreciable slinging or throwing of the sand to an extent where themetered quantity thereof will be changed to any degree.

As seen in FIG. 2, the fill carriage 30 supports a riddler denotedgenerally by the reference numeral 35 and including laterally spacedsloping side walls 48 which are integral with outward extending upperflanges 49 welded to the inner faces of the side frame members 32 of thefill carriage 30. End walls 50 and 51 extend between the laterallyspaced sidewalls 48 to define what is essentially a chute for themovement of moulding sand after the same has been riddled.

Structure is provided for riddling the moulding sand moving from themetering hopper 44 to the inverted drag flask or to the cope flask 25 asthe case may be. According to the present invention such riddling isaccomplished without appreciable slinging of the moulding sand, which inthe structure herein disclosed is carefully metered. Heretofore riddlinghas been achieved by vanes mounted on a turning shaft, and whileriddling has been achieved by such structure, the vanes thereof haveoperated to sling the sand unduly.

On the other hand, and according to the present in: vention, riddling isaccomplished by riddling bars having longitudinal axes which arelaterally spaced from an axis of rotation, so that the bars move in anorbital path. In a preferred form of the invention, a pair of such barsare mounted for such orbital movement upon trunnions disposed at theends of the riddler bars, and alternate pairs of the so paired bars aredriven in such orbital movement in one direction, while the otheralternate pairs are driven in an opposite direction.

Such structure for riddling the mouldings and preferably consists ofpaired smooth riddling bars 52 and 53, these being joined at their endsto trunnion members '54 and 56 so as to turn orbitally about an axis asdefined by trunnion members 54 and 56. Trunnion members 56 have trunnionstub shafts 57 which are journaled in the end wall 51, while trunnionmembers 54 are supported upon trunnion shafts 58 journaled in the endwall 50.

While the riddling bars 52 and 53 are shown as being arranged in pairs,a single bar may be mounted for such orbital movement. Power for drivingthe riddler bars 52 and 53 consists of a pair of driving motors 59 and61, these being mounted on a cross member 62 secured by fastening screws63 to the top of the laterally spaced side frame members 32 of the fillcarriage 30. Motor 59 is arranged to drive a pair of the paired riddlerbars 52 and 53 in the same direction, while motor 61 is arranged todrive the other pair of the paired riddler bars 52 and 53 in an oppositedirection. Motor 59 has an output shaft 64 having a drive pulley 66 fastthereon, drive pulley 66 driving an endless belt 67 trained aboutpulleys 68, 68 fast on the shafts 58 supporting the first and the thirdpair of the riddler bars 52 and 53 to drive the same in one direction.Drive motor 61 has an output shaft 69 with a drive pulley 71 fastthereon, it driving an endless belt 72 trained about pulley 73, 73driving the second and fourth paired riddler bars 52 and 53 in anopposite direction, as indicated by the arrows seen in FIG. 2.

The operation of the metering hopper 44 and the riddler 35 when fillcarriage 30 is at Station I is such as to deposit a metered charge ofaerated molding sand into the inverted drag flask 23. The latter is thenbeing covered by a bottom board BB from a stack S thereof advanced inposition over the inverted drag flask 23 by a pusher member 74 asdescribed in the aforementioned Hunter application.

At the conclusion of the filling operation of the inverted drag flask 23the meter hopper 44 is again filled with a supply of moulding sand fromthe fill hopper 46. Pusher cylinder 38 then operates to move the fillcarriage 30 to Station II where cope flask 25 is filled with riddledsand moving from the metering hopper 44.

Prior to the deposition of moulding sand into the cope flask the bottomboard BB is clamped to the inverted drag flask 23 and the dragflask 23then rotated to an erect position by the rollover device 26. The erectdrag flask 23, with the bottom board BB clamped thereto then moves on toa platen 76 of the'ram member 13. Platen 76 then moves with the erectand filled drag flask 23 against the cope flask .25 as described in saidpreviously recited Hunter patent for the filling of the cope flask 25.

Fill carriage 30 supports a squeeze head 77 which moves with the fillcarriage to a position atop the filled cope flask 25 when the fillcarriage 30 returns to its position at Station I after filling copeflask 25. At such time the platen 76 moves with the drag'flasl;, 23 andthe cope flask 25 against the squeeze head 77 to sque'Zethe mouldingsand within the two flasks 23 and 25 withthematchplate 24 therebetween.

Fill carriage 30 has the side frame members 32 thereof provided withgibs 78 along the lower portions thereof moving into contact with thrustblocks 79 supported on the inside of the frame members 19 to take thethrust from the ram 13 against the squeeze head 77.

Fill carriage 30 and the riddler 35 carried thereby are provided withstructure for striking off the filled cope flask 25 after the same hasbeen filled from the metering hopper 44. This is accomplished by ascraper blade 81 having arms '82 which are pivoted on pins 83 extendingoutward from the sides 48 of the riddler 35. The scraper blade 81 isadjusted in its height so as to clear the top of the cope flask 21 aslight amount as the fill carriage 30 and riddler 35 return to Station Ibeneath the fill hopper 46. This slight clearance levels the sand whichhas been deposited in the cope flask 25, so that the squeeze head 77supported by the fill carriage 30 moves into contact with a quantity ofmolding sand Within the cope flask 25 which is substantially level.

The position of the scraper blade 81 is adjusted by a hanger 84 weldedat its lower end to one of the arms 82 and extending at its upper endthrouugh the flange 49 for the sloping side 48, a nut 86 being threadedto the upper end of hanger 84 and bearing against flange 49, the amountof threaded engagement varying the height of the scraper blade '81.

I claim:

1. A fill carriage for an automatic moulding machine, said fill carriagehaving a metering hopper thereon for moulding sand and being movablebetween a first position where the metering hopper discharges into adrag flask and a second position where the metering hopper dischargesinto a cope flask, the improvement in said fill carriage comprising ariddler disposed below said metering hopper for aerating and levelingthe moulding sand to be deposited in said drag and cope flasks withoutappreciable loss in the metered quantity thereof, said riddler includinga frame, a plurality of riddler bars extending lengthwise of said frame,means for mounting each of said bars for orbital movement about saidlast named means, and means for rotating alternate of said riddler barsin identical directions on said means for mounting said riddle bars, andmeans on said frame for leveling the mouldings and in said cope flaskupon movement of said fill carriage from said second position to saidfirst position.

2. A fill carriage according to claim 1 wherein said means comprises ascraper blade movable with said frame.

3. A fill carriage for an automatic moulding machine, said fill carriagehaving a metering hopper thereon for moulding sand and being movablebetween a first position where the metering hopper discharges into adrag flask and a second position where the metering hopper dischargesinto a cope flask, the improvement in said fill carriage comprising ariddler disposed below said metering hopper for aerating and levelingthe moulding sand to be deposited in said drag and cope flasks withoutappreciable loss in the metered quantity thereof, and means 5 6 on saidfill carriage for leveling the moulding sand in 3.007.216 ll/l96l.lohnslon [64-193 said cope flask upon movement of said fill carriagefrom 3.l 10,067 ll/l963 Abbott l64--192 X said second position to saidfirst position. 3. 0 .449 8/1965 Hutch l64--l94 X 4. A fill carriageaccording to claim 3 wherein said FOREIGN PATENTS l I giigsgecompnses ascraper bade movable with said 5 974,672 11/1964 Great Bmam.

Reie'e'lces I. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner UNITED STATESPATENTS J. B. BROWN, Assistant Examiner 1,155,019 9/1915 Tscherning164-183 10 2,893,079 7/1959 Moran et al. 164-192 x 2,973,188 2/1961 Howe259-131 164--207; 222410; 259-429

